Under his plea agreement, Troy Leonard is to receive a 10-year state prison sentence
NEWTON -- Sentencing was delayed on Thursday for a special education consultant who admitted touching the genitals of eight children and submitting fraudulent insurance claims.
The case against Troy Leonard, 31, of Franklin Lakes, was adjourned and he is now scheduled to appear in Superior Court in Newton for sentencing on Sept. 16, officials in the Sussex County Prosecutor's Office said.
In May, Leonard pleaded guilty to eight counts of second-degree sexual assault and one count of second-degree health care claims fraud, according to the prosecutor's office.
Leonard admitted to having sexual contact with eight children under the age of 13 while he served as their behavioral therapist. He also admitted to billing insurance companies for treatment he did not provide.
According to New Jersey Herald, Leonard submitted $650,000 worth of fraudulent insurance claims between August 2011 and November 2015.
Leonard advertised himself online as a life coach, family counselor and an Applied Behvior Analysis therapist, but records with the Behavior Analyst Certification Board showed he's not a credentialed behavior analyst. His license as a marriage and family therapy counselor has been suspended, records show.
The sexual assaults took place between 2011 and 2015. They occurred in Wantage, West Milford, Ringwood, Lafayette and Verona, according to an account in the New Jersey Herald.
Under his plea agreement, Leonard will receive a 10-year state prison sentence and must serve eight years, six months in prison before he will become eligible for parole. The prosecutor's office previously confirmed the deal also calls for the dismissal of child endangerment charges and the consolidation of 38 counts of health claims fraud into one count.
Ben Horowitz may be reached at bhorowitz@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @HorowitzBen. Find NJ.com on Facebook.